1. Field
The present invention generally relates to transmitting data displayed by an external input apparatus that is connected to one communication terminal to another communication terminal through a network.
2. Description of the Background
With the need for reducing costs or times associated with business trips, more companies are moving towards communication systems to have teleconference or videoconference among remotely located offices via a communication network such as the Internet. The communication systems allow transmission of image data and/or voice data of users among a plurality of communication terminals that are remotely located from one another through the communication network to facilitate communication among the plurality of communication terminals.
During videoconference, in addition to the image data and/or voice data of the user, the user at one side may want to share presentation materials with the user at the other side. In such case, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,760,749, the communication terminal transmits data of the presentation materials through the communication network to a distribution server. The distribution server sends the received data of the presentation materials to the counterpart terminal. The user at the counterpart terminal is able to see an image, which is displayed based on the data of the presentation materials.
If the presentation materials are displayed by an external apparatus connected to the communication terminal, such external apparatus needs to be registered into the communication systems to be managed by the communication systems such that it has been cumbersome for the user to register the external apparatus every time.